Biking like a Dane -- hopefully
I was told to wait until I got to Copenhagen to decide if I wanted to rent a bike for the semester or not. So I did this, got to Copenhagen, and quickly decided getting a bike was on top of my to-do list. So just a few days later I ended up with my very own bike (that I actually still have to find a name for) and consider it one of the best decisions I have made while abroad!
Some quick thoughts on Copenhagen biking:
It is nothing like biking back home. I am used to biking on trails throughout my town or in parks for a workout or to catch up with a friend. Although there are a few people back home who use their bike as a mode of transportion, this is by no means a common occurence. But here in Copenhagen the biking that I do is throughout the city streets to get from point A to point B - and it is different!
City bikers don't mess around. My first time on the bike was quite an experience. I had quickly forgot the rule to move to the right of the bike lane unless you are passing someone - much like driving a car back home. So, I forgot this rule, and was quickly given a few dings to move over. But after a few weeks I've transformed from a nervous tourist to the 'Dane biker' I now call myself and can easily get annoyed at other tourists who are biking too slow, walking in the bike lane, etc. It's been a fun switch, and one I was nervous I would never make.
Biking to get groceries and being able to put them in my resuable bag in my cart is one of my favorite things about Denmark. So small but I will never get sick of it!
The freedom of having a bike in Copenhagen has opened up the whole city to me! Although public transportation is great there is something special about having a bike in your backyard and knowing that there are paths everywhere in Copenhagen - and even if they aren't it is easy to make your own! I have been able to explore on my own schedule & get lost on my bike which has turned into the coolest adventures.
The way to tell a native Danish biker versus a newby like myself? How well someone stops and starts! With all the stoplights and turning you are always stopping your bike, waiting a minute, and starting it up again which seems easy enough but is actually the hardest part of city biking. How the Danes do it so gracefully and beautifully I will never understand.
If you are in Copenhagen - get a bike. No matter how bad you think you are or how nervous you are to figure it out just get one. No one will get mad at you if you mess up on the rules or are going slower and being able to explore Copenhagen on a bike makes it feel that much more like home!
